Back after more than a month of rest from training, coach Tab Baldwin made a shocking announcement on Wednesday by saying Slaughter and big guard Matt Ganuelas Rosser are officially out of the pool that's preparing for the Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) due to ankle injuries.

The 6-11 Slaughter attended practice, but did not join the national players in scrimmage and left the venue earlier. He's scheduled to undergo an ankle surgery that will sideline him for 2-3 months.

Fajardo said his own knee injury - suffered during the Philippine Cup semifinals - has already healed and he looks forward to suiting up for Gilas for the first time since the 2014 Fiba World Cup in Seville, Spain.